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Randell Williams will miss the start of the season for Wanderers thanks to an injury he suffered on the eve of the play-off final, Ian Evatt has confirmed.
The wing-back was ruled out for four months after tearing a muscle in the sole of his foot during a routine warm-up ahead of the game against Oxford United at Wembley.
Williams made 40 appearances last season but was replaced at the 11th hour by Nat Ogbeta in the final and now faces another eight to 10 weeks before he can return to training.
The lack of left-sided options will force Wanderers into the transfer market for a replacement and Evatt said the timing of the injury summed up the misfortune his side suffered on the final weekend of last season.
“You couldn’t make it up,” he told The Bolton News. “Day before, a light training session, he (Williams) slipped and tore his plantar fascia. He was out for 16 weeks – so he probably will miss the start of this season.
“There was that, the flag issue, we turn up and Paris (Maghoma) got injured in minute one. Lots of things didn’t go our way.
“We have to own the performance and it wasn’t acceptable for the level we have set ourselves and that is what hurts the most, we’d become accustomed to us playing well and having good memories, when it goes the opposite direction, it really hurts.
“Probably in my life, not just football, that is the most upset and hurt I have suffered.”
Wanderers flew out to Portugal yesterday to begin a training camp which Evatt hopes will bed down a more flexible tactical approach for next season.
The Bolton boss wants to retain the possession-based style which he has honed over the last four years but add players and plans which will enable him to adapt better to different opponents, on-pitch.
He maintains, however, that every aspect of his planning for the play-off final went to plan and that he would change nothing, other than the outcome, if he could.
“Would I have done anything differently?” he said. “No. I genuinely don’t think I could have.
“Our preparation was exactly what the game looked like, we had worked on it all week, we knew what the threats were, what was going to happen, where the danger was, that they were going to press, but on the day we didn’t execute.
“At Wembley Stadium with all that emotion, it is very, very difficult to turn the tide. You look at things that happened through the season, that happened at Wembley the day before and on the day, and it just wasn’t our time.
“I am firm believer that everything happens for a reason and at the current time that reason has not presented itself, perhaps it will moving forwards.
“Do I think we prepared the right way? Absolutely. Do I think we played well? No, it was our worst performance of the season. And that is what hurts. Not only the defeat but the manner of it.
“It opened up wounds which have taken a lot of healing. My biggest thoughts are with the fans because we let them down, so now we have to put it right, simple as that.”
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